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Death Wish (2018)
Death Wish (2018)
Why do we like vigilante justice? I think that it is because someone does exactly what we are thinking should be done or we would like to do, ourselves. Also, vigilante justice in the movies is often portrayed as sticking up for ones that cannot stick up for themselves. If you are like me, then you enjoy rooting for the underdog.
Death Wish is about a doctor who decides to take matters into his own hands after an attack on his family. He decides to find the men responsible and serve up his own form of vigilante justice.
The movie was directed by Eli Roth and the noteworthy cast includes Bruce Willlis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Dean Norris, Camila Morrone, Beau Knapp, Kimberly Elise, Len Cariou, Jack Kesy, and Ronnie Gene Blevins.
I am not usually one to be into remakes. It seems like Hollywood remakes or reboots just about everything these days. Often, I say leave well enough alone, but sometimes the right remake idea comes along and the right actor is cast in the lead role.
In this case, Willis was very fitting for the role in Death Wish. It was his best performance since Looper (2012). He has been making a lot of B-rated straight to DVD movies lately, so it is nice to see him return to his former glory. I am glad to see that he has not gone the way of Nicolas Cage (spitting out one piece of trash after the next). Death Wish is a one-man-show and Bruce was clearly up for the task.
This movie is a scary concept because of how realistic it is. What I mean by that is that it shows just how worthless the police department and justice system can be sometimes. Too often, it is the people that deserve to see justice be done, that are the ones stuck without any justice at all. It also goes to show just how vulnerable we all are.
The likable Dean Norris has quickly been typecast as the police or detective type thanks to the success of the television series Breaking Bad. His part in this movie is good, but it does quickly make you think of Breaking Bad.
There are a few noticeable gruesome scenes in this movie that had Roth’s signature all over it. So far, I believe that this film is Roth’s best work as a director. He did a terrific job setting the tone of Death Wish and sticking with it throughout.
It has been a very long time since I have seen the original Death Wish (1974), but watching this version has made me want to go back and watch the original sometime soon. The new film is a quality remake done with today’s technology. The original movie is now 44 years old and it shows its age.
This movie is a murky suspense/thriller with good old fashioned popcorn-popping action. Willis as the protagonist doing bad for good reasons will keep you on the edge of your seat hoping that justice gets done.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
If you liked this film then you might also enjoy:
Death Wish (1974)
Death Sentence (2007)
The Brave One (2007)
Man on Fire (2004)
The Equalizer (2014)
The Punisher (2004)
Sin City (2005)
Harry Brown (2009)
RED (2010)
John Wick (2014)
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Defendor (2009)
Happy Birthday to Mary-Louise Parker
Happy Birthday to Mary-Louise Parker! The talented actress turns 49 years old today.
Parker has become more popular on the big screen in recent years thanks mostly to Red (2010). She currently has 2 films out in theatres: Red 2 (2013), and R.I.P.D. (2013).
Red 2 (2013)
Red 2 (2013)
After how awesome Red (2010) was, I thought for sure that Red 2 could never live up to its predecessor.
Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired CIA agent who cannot seem to stay retired from mayhem. In this sequel to Red (2010), Moses bands together with a group of friends who also happen to be misfit murderers, in order to try to track down a missing nuke.
The film was directed by Dean Parisot and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Byung-hun Lee, Neal McDonough, David Thewlis, Tim Pigott Smith, and Brian Cox.
In Red (2010) Malkovich completely stole the show. He was quirky and hilarious. He was the reason why the movie was so funny and probably the biggest contributor to its success. I assumed that I was in for a disappointment when I walked into Red 2. How could they possibly top the original? I think that I was not alone with this question because Red 2 did not do as well in theatres as it should have over the weekend.
Rarely does a sequel ever top the original and rarely is a sequel ever as good as the original. Well folks, I am here to tell you that Red 2 is almost as good as the original, if not as good. The acting was excellent, the action was thrilling, and the movie was hysterical.
I’m not sure how they pulled it off, but John Malkovich was just as funny in Red 2 as he was in Red. He might have even been funnier.
Zeta-Jones, Hopkins, and McDonough were all nice additions to the already spectacular cast.
The chemistry between Willis and Parker was priceless. There is a lot more humor between the duo now that their characters are an established couple.
The film was fast-paced and everything flowed nicely. It was all quick and to the point with never a dull moment. It might just be the action/comedy of the year.
If you thought that Red was great, do yourself a favor and go out and see Red 2. As sequels go, this one does not disappoint.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
If you liked Red 2, then you will probably enjoy:
Movie Picture of the Day 7/18/13
John Malkovich stealing the show in the movie Red (2010). Do you think that he will do it again in Red 2 (2013)? (Click on the title to find out what I thought)
Trailer for Red 2 (2013)
Red 2 (2013) (Click on the title for my full review.)
Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired CIA agent who cannot seem to stay retired from mayhem. In this sequel to Red (2010), Moses bands together with a group of friends who also happen to be misfit murderers, in order to try to track down a missing nuke.
The film is directed by Dean Parisot and the rest of the notable cast includes John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Neal McDonough, and Byung-hun Lee.
If Red 2 is half as good as Red, it will be worth seeing. It should be full of laughs and plenty of good action.
The film is set to release on 7/19/13.
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